Umts

Abstract

In a UMTS operating UDP/IP, a first MPLS Edge Node is located in a GGSN 42 on one side of a CN 40, and a second MPLS Edge Node is located at the other side of CN 40 in either a SGSN 48 or a RNC 56, 58 or a node B 74.

1 . A Universal Mobile Telephone System (UMTS) comprising a Core Network operating Multi-Protocol Label Switching, the network including a plurality of Label Switching Routers; at least one Gateway General Packet Support Node (SGSN); at least one Serving General Packet Radio Support Node; a plurality of Radio Network Controllers associated with said SGSN; and a plurality of Node Bs associated with each said controller; all Nodes and Controllers operating User Data Protocol/Internet Protocol, wherein a first Multi-Protocol Label Switching Edge Node is located in the GGSN.  
     
     
         2 . A UMTS according to  claim 1  in which a second MPLS Edge Node is located in at least one SGSN.  
     
     
         3 . A UMTS according to  claim 1  in which a second MPLS edge Node is located in each radio Network Controller.  
     
     
         4 . A UMTS according to  claim 3  in which the at least one SGSN is arranged as a MPLS Label Switching Router.  
     
     
         5 . A UMTS according to  claim 1  in which a second MPLS Edge Node is located in each Node B.  
     
     
         6 . A UMTS according to  claim 5  in which the at least one SGSN and each Radio Network Controller is arranged as a MPLS Label Switching Router.  
     
     
         7 . A UMTS according  claim 1  in which in the protocol stacks of the GGSN, and in the protocol stacks of the SGSN or the RNCs or the Node Bs when acting as a MPLS Edge Node, the MPLS protocol is located in a protocol layer immediately below the User Data Protocol/Internet Protocol layer.  
     
     
         8 . A UMTS according to  claim 1  in which each MPLS Edge Node is arranged either to encapsulate IP packets into MPLS frames or to strip MPLS frames from IP packets.  
     
     
         9 . A UMTS according to  claim 1  arranged so that routes between any two network entities are associated with labels distributed throughout the network in Label Information Base stores.  
     
     
         10 . A UMTS according to  claim 9  in which each Label Switching Router is arranged to look up a Label Information Base store to determine the appropriate route to a next network entity.